The Spread of Sleds in Monrovia

Photo courtesy City of Monrovia

The latest issue of the city-published Neighborhood News ( http://goo.gl/wzWF4Z ) says that last year Monrovia Area Partnership (MAP) leader, Susan Pilcher, found four sleds, which she painted as Christmas decorations and delivered to her neighbors. This year, she and fellow MAP leader, Gina Ammon, expanded the project to 100 painted sleds, which will be on display throughout December on East Wild Rose Avenue, down Bradbury Road to Orange Avenue. Plus a few more on Park Rose, Rose Lane, Oak Leaf and Winding Oak. Extra benefit: A lot of the neighbors now know each other from the painting party. Comment: Very cool! Now we need some snow to go with them.

- Brad Haugaard

Holiday Dinner For Live-Alone Seniors

Holiday turkey dinner with gifts and entertainment for San Gabriel Valley live-alone seniors (60 plus) on Saturday, Dec. 5, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Monrovia Community Center. RSVP to Rebecca Romero at 256-8232 or rromero@ci.monrovia.ca.us by Dec. 3. Sponsored by Monrovia Providers Group with support from Fellowship Monrovia.

- Brad Haugaard

Fire at Monrovia High Early Monday Morning

Three alarm fire at Monrovia High School early this morning. Juvenile arrested on suspicion of arson. School's still on. http://goo.gl/oe9uoT

- Brad Haugaard

Pricey Home | The Other Monrovia Did Great in Football

~ Most expensive single-family home now for sale in Monrovia is a five bedroom, four-and-a-half bath residence on Norumbega. Asking price: $2.54 million. http://goo.gl/mHAOus

~ Sadly, Monrovia High football didn't quite finish on top this year, but our namesake, Monrovia High in Indiana, did very nicely, winning a Class 2A state championship. http://goo.gl/v76oVp

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council To Consider Leasing Old Train Depot; Raise for City Manager; Removing Invasive Species; New Job Classification; Oversight Committee

At its Dec. 1 meeting (agenda ), the Monrovia City Council will ...

- Consider leasing the historic Santa Fe train depot to Daylight Limited for 55 years for a $2,500 a year. Plus, the city will loan Daylight $1.5 million for 25 years. If the company rehabs the depot to the city's satisfaction, the loan will be forgiven. Source

- Consider boosting City Manager Oliver Chi's salary by 2.5%, from $195,000 to $199,875. Source

- Consider applying for a grant to remove invasive species from Monrovia Canyon Park and Hillside Wilderness Area. Especially the Ageratina adenophora (commonly known as eupatory or sticky snakeroot). Source

- Consider agreements with city employee groups to create a new job classification scheme that will designate 114 job descriptions for the city. Source

- Consider establishing an oversight committee for "Monrovia Renewal," the plan to fix the city's water and sewer lines. Source

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Mayan Bar and Grill

Dinner Wednesday night in the new Mayan Grill in the Aztec Hotel at Foothill and Magnolia. Got the shrimp in spicy Cajun sauce ($9.99) with a side of potatoes ($2.99) and a beer ($2.50 at half-off happy hour price). Well, that was a new experience! It all came in a plastic bag (potatoes too) and the steamed shrimp (big and a lot of them) were whole, so I had to work to get them apart, but tasty when I succeeded.  You get a lobster bib and plastic gloves. You'll need 'em.

- Brad Haugaard 

Stop Hunger Now Video at Monrovia High

Video of Monrovia community joining together to "Stop Hunger Now" at Monrovia High. Packaging meals. https://goo.gl/QsWkCV

- Brad Haugaard

Happy Thanksgiving, Monrovia!

Happy Thanksgiving, Monrovia! Here is the Thanksgiving Proclamation by our first president, George Washington: http://goo.gl/tK3m6M

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Veranda Restaurant To Distribute Food for Thanksgiving

A posting on Facebook says that Veranda restaurant (corner of Myrtle and Lime) will be giving out free food to those in need for Thanksgiving. 9-11 a.m.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's AeroVironment Gets $13 Million Order From Marine Corps

Monrovia's AeroVironment announced today that it received a $13,015,396 order for its RQ-20A Puma AE reconnaissance drone (and spare parts) for the United States Marine Corps on October 27, 2015. http://goo.gl/Nd4URM

- Brad Haugaard

Small Business Saturday This Week in Old Town Monrovia

Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. in Old Town. Raffle and prize. http://goo.gl/ig7SRL

- Brad Haugaard

Bio Research Institute Moving to Monrovia | City Gets Better Bond Rating | Library Program for At-Risk Teens | Etc.

From City Manager Oliver Chi's weekly report:

- City of Hope's Beckman Research Institute is moving to Monrovia and will lease the entire 139,644 square feet at the current Xerox building at 1214 South 5th. Chi says this "lends credence to our belief that Monrovia can serve as a biotechnology and advanced research hub."

- Standard and Poor's, the bond-rating agency, has boosted Monrovia's bond rating of BBB+ (lower medium grade investment rating) to "A," which means a lower interest rate if the city to borrow money. This makes Monrovia bonds upper-medium grade. S&P's rating system, by the way, goes up to AAA, so A is good but not quite as awesome as it sounds.

- The Monrovia Library has received a grant from the American Library Association to host a reading and discussion program for at-risk teens from January 2016 to April 2016. The teens will discuss The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Feed by M.T. Anderson, and March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell.

- The city has been distributing yard signs to Monrovia households with low water-usage landscaping.

- The city is planning to redesign its website. (Comment: Add an RSS feed.)

- Brad Haugaard

Nice Thanksgiving Weather | NFL Player Gives Shoes to Monrovia Player Jordon Woods

~ Should be a brisk Thanksgiving with a high of 52 degrees and mostly sunny. 50% chance of rain this coming Monday, though. http://goo.gl/VnR5SB

~ Video: NFL Pro Bowler Terrell Owens provides size-17 athletic shoes to Monrovia High School football player Jordon Woods. http://goo.gl/Y8n942

- Brad Haugaard

Glimpse of Monrovia High Robot Team's Latest Creation

Latest robot, with its super-secret track system blurred out.

Monrovia High's Kings and Queens robotics team has released this picture of the robot it's working on with its newly installed track system. However, "the Kings and Queens Ministry of Information has decreed that information too sensitive to reveal at this time. You'll just have to use your imaginations."

 

- Brad Haugaard

Thanksgiving Cooking Safety Tips | Meeting On Converting 4th Dimension Into Monrovia Community Center

~ Unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires on Thanksgiving. Here are some safety tips from Southern California Edison: http://goo.gl/GMtH61

~ The City is holding an open meeting on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. at the Library Community Room to discuss the proposal to convert the 4th Dimension pool hall into the Community Center, and the Community Center into housing. http://goo.gl/wPySNA